CareerReady 101

NEKLS, the regional adult education partner of the Vermont Department of Education, introduced “Career Ready 101” to business owners and employers after numerous requests for workforce skills improvement were heard at the local legislative breakfast.

“Career Ready 101 is our new and free comprehensive career training on-line curriculum that helps design itself based on your resources!” stated NEKLS executive director Michelle Tarryk. “It is an integrated approach to exploring careers and their skill requirements, building workplace skills and creating life-literacy with such skills as financial awareness and job searching.”

The entire Career Ready 101 on-line curriculum offers over 300 computer based “courses” including the three “Rs”, reading, writing and math. What seems to be of highest interest to Northeast Kingdom employers and prospective employees are the “soft skills classes” such as: following directions, business writing, teamwork, workplace ethics, employer expectations, time management, customer service, on the job etiquette, telephone, e-mail and meeting etiquette and demonstrating responsibility.

Basic reading comprehension and moderate skills at a computer are necessary to start Career Ready 101. Students that lack those basic skills are eligible for basic skill improvement and basic computer skills classes at any NEKLS location. Following an orientation, students will have an education advisor assigned to them who will then custom design the curriculum to meet the needs of that student or his/her employer. Once begun, student work is self-paced to accommodate individual schedules and stamina.